In this third installment, we see the feminine side of the Kalahari Dune Kings: The Sisters Gang.
In 1970, the first year that Professor Fritz Eloff spent tracking the lions in the Kalahari Desert, he and his team of fearless researchers were introduced to a pride of lionesses who, through their unique characters and unusual behaviour, were christened the Sisters Gang. After having just arrived in the dune kingdom that is Botswana’s Kalahari, the sweltering heat and furnace-like sand had offered a truly African greeting to Eloff and company. Tingling nerves and the adopted ability to hear a pin drop, the men set up camp in the south sands of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park at Gharagab; their search for the Dune Kings had begun.
Once the sun had spilled its light over the eternal rolling hills, Eloff could begin his investigation into the behaviour of the lions he had been ever so eerily acquainted with during the hours of dark. Male paw prints in the soft sand provided the first surprise to the team, as they had seen only females during the night. Second, this male had not stuck around for the after-dinner slumber party that is so commonly the course of action with well-fed lions.
Large, padded tracks led to six sleek and supple golden lionesses parading atop a tall dune, flanked by an incredible, black-maned male and one tawny teenager who appeared to have no rank at all. An unusual pride dynamic was at play here, and it wasn’t long before the Sisters Gang made itself known. That night, a troop of tired lion trackers huddled around the glowing coals of a campfire, unaware of what the darkness would bring. Asleep at the foot of a red dune, the men became surrounded by a curious pride of six female lions, one of which was stopped mid-stalk by Eloff’s quick torch light. Shoulder blades peaked, belly flat against the cool sand; one of the sisters was mere metres away from the oblivious campers, and she was ready to pounce. Hurriedly, the rehearsed response was carried out – a vocal attack, no sudden movement and certainly no running! Needless to say, this was one of the many sleepless nights endured by the dedicated group of researchers as they tracked and followed this notorious gang of lionesses.
Interestingly, the audacious females scattered in what appeared to be fear when they were approached by the vehicles during the day. The impudence that came with the fall of night was replaced by anxiety and a defensive aggression that was born of fear. Never keen to be observed closely, the group of thugs turned in fury, often charging the nearing land rover; once denting the door with the swipe of one heavy front paw. Violent outbursts were the sisters’ specialty, as it was learned that not only persistent humans were targeted. Once, Eloff bore witness to a brutal attack on one brown hyena, who was left in a whimpering state after having its back savagely broken. On a second occasion, a rare pangolin was deserted after a pointless attack; a cutting scene for Eloff’s passionate team of wildlife experts.
The old black-maned male came and went as he pleased, irregularly joining a neighbouring pride, seeming not to dominate either one; very uncharacteristic of a lion, yet reaffirming the exceptionality of these desert rulers. Upon reaching the end of their first period spent with this feisty pride, the team had identified the inimitable Sisters Gang. Six months later, the group returned, eagerly waiting to reunite with the lionesses, and what a reunion it was. A reverberant growling consumed the dusk air sending thrills through the bones of the anticipatory campers; a welcome sound followed by the incredible entrance of a pride of thirteen lions. It was undoubtedly Eloff’s six females, loyally led by the dignified matriarch, accompanied by a matured version of the timid young male, and the aging black-maned wanderer. What pleased Eloff the most was the addition of five cubs, playfully stumbling between the females. This was a vision, aglow in the firey light spilled by the setting sun – the Sisters Gang was not just a desert maverick, but a maternal pride of nurturing females.
Upon a later visit, the team was camping in Sisters Gang territory, hoping to mark and track the lionesses and their new additions, which were estimated to be around 8 months old at this point. After a ritual nighttime stalking of the sleeping men by one or more of the members of the gang, Eloff knew they had once again found their blossoming pride. Following the evening’s movement, the trackers found the females; however, a tragic realisation dawned when it was observed that the six were as alone as they had been when they first met the team. None of the cubs had survived infancy. It was a heart-wrenching reminder of the harshness of desert life, particularly that of the Dune Kings.
Subsequent visits saw the Sisters Gang mother another seven cubs, one of the females being the matriarch, named B4 (the lionesses were identified as B1 to B6 after they were marked). The leader of these female outlaws had a quiet temperament and was a doting mother, constantly relocating her young cubs to keep them out of danger. A calm counterpart to her fellow gang members, this venerable lioness determinedly led her pride throughout the time Eloff followed them. Even when they had seen the last of the other lionesses, B4 was spotted with a renowned Kalahari male and his pride of twelve. Her status in the new pride was unclear, and her age had begun to show – she was no longer the muscular matriarch Eloff had met fifteen years earlier on his virgin adventure into the desert. In 1986, a tired-looking lioness peered at the vehicle she had grown accustomed to; her eyes no longer blazing, no longer alert. Her lean frame appeared far too bony as it rested uncomfortably upon the roots of a camel thorn tree, and Eloff took that moment with the lone lioness to acknowledge her history with the infamous Sisters Gang that had terrorised his teammates almost two decades before. After this brief sighting, Eloff drove away knowing full well that he wouldn’t see this remarkable lioness again.
The Central Kalahari and Kgalagadi are the best places to view the black-maned Dune Kings. Accommodation options include Haina Kalahari Lodge, Rooiputs, Unions End and Polentswa. If you require further information about these wild areas, please contact us.
Chloe Cooper
